MLB Player News

Brad Miller has performing much better offensively (.447/1.000/1.512) this spring than Nick Franklin (.235/.412/.745), and it would seem he is running away with the starting shortstop job for the Mariners. However, manager Lloyd McClendon considers it a closer race than you would think.

"I think they’ve both played well to this point," McClendon said, per The Seattle Times. "I will reserve my thoughts on that for a little while longer. But they’ve both done a nice job. I’ve been pleased. As far as separation, I don’t think they’ve really separated themselves. I evaluate things a little different than how you guys evaluate them. I don’t particularly evaluate on given performance on any day. I see good things from both of them."

Struggling Athletics slugger Yoenis Cespedes received words of encouragement Wednesday from teammate Brandon Moss, who sees the outfielder working to emerge from a slump that has dragged his spring batting average down to a troubling .128.

"If he was up there raking and was hitting .128, and really feeling good at the plate, that would be one thing," Moss told the Bay Area News Group. "But he's up there working on things, trying to shorten his swing."

Cespedes has regressed since a fine rookie season in 2012. He experienced significant drops in batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage and his problems have followed him to spring training.

Lloyd McClendon knows who will be in what is a strengthened Mariners lineup to start this season, but he is still experimenting with the batting order, per the Tacoma News-Tribune.

McClendon will bat sizzling shortstop Brad Miller second and third baseman Kyle Seager fifth in the game Wednesday against Milwaukee. He is planning on batting deposed shortstop Nick Franklin leadoff on Thursday. The Mariners have reportedly been actively seeking to trade Franklin.

Mariners shortstop Brad Miller continued to shine Tuesday, going 3 for 4 with three runs and his fourth spring home run in his team's 5-5 tie with the Padres.

Miller played second base Tuesday as the team used Nick Franklin at shortstop, likely in an attempt to showcase him for a potential trade. Miller, who is 14 for 34 with four home runs this spring, likely has the starting shortstop role all sewn up.

The Royals optioned infielder Christian Colon, catcher Francisco Pena and pitcher Michael Mariot to Triple-A Omaha Friday.

Colon went 1 for 2 with one run and one RBI Friday and went 8 for 27 in 14 games with the Royals. Pena hit his first spring home run Friday and is 2 for 9 in six games. Mariot allowed one earned run in one inning Friday and has given up six earned runs in six innings this spring.

Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera crushed two home runs, leading Detroit to a 17-5 rout of the Cardinals Monday. Cabrera had a productive day, going 3 for 4 with four RBI.

Cabrera opened the scoring with a two-run homer off Shelby Miller in the third inning. He then added another two-run homer off Keith Butler in the fourth inning. It was his first home runs of the spring.

Cabrera is batting .474 (9 for 19) with one double and five RBI in eight spring games.

The Twins made a slew of roster moves Sunday. The team announced pitchers Logan Darnell, Edgar Ibarra, Brooks Raley and Trevor May were optioned to Triple-A Rochester. 

The Twins also announced first baseman Kennys Vargas was optioned to Double-A New Britain, while infielder Jorge Polanco  and outfielder Max Kepler  were optioned to Class A Ft. Myers.

The Twins also reassigned pitchers Alex Meyer, Lester Oliveros and Yohan Pino, catchers Kyle Knudson, Matt Koch  and Stuart Turner, outfielders Byron Buxton  and Chris Rahl  and infielder Miguel Sano to minor-league camp.

Mariners shortstop Brad Miller went 1 for 2 with a walk, a solo home run and a stolen base in his team's 6-5 win over the Reds Monday.

Miller opened the spring 0 for 5 over his first two games before filling up the stat sheet Monday. He's battling Nick Franklin for the starting shortstop role, with the loser of the competition set to be optioned to Triple-A Tacoma.

Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik told The News Tribune on Monday that the loser of the Nick Franklin/Brad Miller battle at shortstop will be optioned to Tacoma, where he will get regular at-bats. 

"With young players," Zduriencik said, "it's very important that they play regularly."

Franklin and Miller would have played alongside one another this season, but the team signed Robinson Cano to play second base. There have been trade rumors floating around Franklin all winter, and a deal is still just as solid a possibility as a demotion (if he loses the competition). 

Franklin, 23, hit .225 with 12 home runs and six steals in 102 games last year for the Mariners. Miller, 24, hit .265 with eight home runs and five steals in 76 games. 

Blue Jays infielder Ryan Goins was named the team's starting second baseman by manager John Gibbons Friday morning, MLB.com reports. He was expected to compete with Maicer Izturis this spring, but Izturis will instead be used in a utility role.

"Goins is our guy right now," Gibbons told MLB.com. "We want to see him do his thing. There's always a chance. Opening Day is [Tampa Bay's] David Price so maybe you'd rather have a righty facing him, that could always be a possibility. But we're giving Goins every opportunity to be the guy."

Goins made 32 appearances (29 starts) at second base in his first MLB season last year, hitting .252/.264/.345 with two home runs, eight RBI and an ugly 28:2 K:BB ratio in 119 at-bats.